Letters to the Editor
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So he gets a free Premium Salon Membership
Sign that man up. In fact, make him a columnist. He and Gary Kamiya can fight over who's aluminum hat is cuter.
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Have you ever run for President?
Have you ever allowed your inherent, true personality to show though, exposing your genuine bigoted opinions ... while running for president? Was that your "mistake"?
Cut! Tommy Speech to Jews; Scene 12, Take 2 ... action!
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A persistent WHAT?
Hey Tim -- you dropped a word or two in your item. A persistent WHAT is blamed by Thompson for his slip of the lip?
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Jewish tradition of money changing
Making money isn't part of the Jewish tradition? They were the first money changers because Gentile nobles beleived money to be dirty. Besides if you don't think making money is a Jewish tradition you have never been to Lawnguyland!:)
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Much ado about nothing
My husband and I were in the audience at the Religious Action Center conference when Thompson made his remarks. We both think the "controversy" is overblown
Yes, Thompson said something stupid - as we all have. I don't believe he's anti-semitic, just a goober who let his mouth get ahead of his brain.
Although I wouldn't vote for him for President, I did respect that he came to address a potentially hostile audience where he'd find very little support (probably none) for his campaign.
If people want to be upset with him, critize Thompson on policy grounds (and there's a lot of material there!), but not because of a stupid statement he made in a clumsy attempt to connect with an audience.
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I'm tired of apologies
Tommy Thompson's remark wasn't that bad or that offensive.
Don Imus' remark paled in comparison to what you hear on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam or the bilge that routinely streams from Coulter and Limbaugh.
And now Bryan Ferry forced to apologize for absolutely legitmate and intelligent remarks about the Nazis' incredible use of presentation (it was a big reason for their success after all).
Every morning when you wake up you have to assume something will offend you in some way. Grow up, get over it and go about your day.
These three examples were harmeless, but far more harmful as more blows to free speech. From now on, I don't apologize for anything I may say, and I don't expect an apology from anyone else.
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Missing Word
The Politico that fatigue and a persistent caused him to tell a Jewish group this week that making money is "part of the Jewish tradition."
Shouldn't there be something between 'a persistent' and 'caused'?
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I'm a little confused, saintzak...
How many wrongs make a right again? Is it two? Three? Nine? Twenty-eight? I forgot, but you probably know.
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where's the marches the boycotts?
How come nappy headed hos is more offensive than tommy thompson bringing up an old stereotype? Why? Because white people don't get to be indignant and play the victim. I am not at all offended by his comments as a white person or as a Jewish person, just pointing out that make fun of white people and apologize, bam all is forgiven. make fun of black women and apologize and you lose a 30+ yr career the week you are doing a telethon for dying babies. Cmon people wake up!
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Thompson is an idiot.
Living in a neighboring state, with relatives who actually live there, his nonsensical and foolish blather comes as no surprise. It's just his first time on a really large stage, and he's remaining true to form. And he won't be the Republican nominee under any imaginable circumstances anyway. So it's just another dollop of drivel from the CheeseGov ignoramus.
All that said, it's important to raise a point here: There is no such thing as a right to not be offended. We may wish there was. We may pretend there is. There is not. And I hope such a thing is never codified - it would be the death knell of free speech anywhere. Either that, or there would be some ludicrous "threshold" established (statistically?) beyond which someone's beliefs were deemed "too marginal" to matter.
It's far, far easier to turn away, or denounce, than it would be to regain the right to speak freely once we surrender it in the name of inoffensiveness. Freedom of expression is messy, and I'd approach the close with a relevant line from an old Irish pub song: "If you don't like me, then leave me alone!"
Thompson deserves obscurity. My best guess is it's coming soon.
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Goober for President!
"I don't believe he's anti-semitic, just a goober who let his mouth get ahead of his brain."
As a native Wisconsinite, let me say countrycat has Tommy pegged. I've met Thompson and he's a nice, friendly guy, but a bit of a dimwit, particularly on the stump. Folks in Wisconsin have a pretty high tolerance for that, but a national presidential race is a different matter.
Anybody inclined to take the Thompson candidacy seriously should look for more of the same from our Tommy.
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re: Tired and Ado
This isn't about being offended. This is about a possible Presidential candidate making a remark that sends up a "red flag", which let's us see into his psyche a little better. Afterall, we'd like to know as much as we can about a man who wants to lead the country.
The more we know about a possible candidate, the better. If this is what he says when he's battling a cold, what's he going to say (or do) if he becomes President? Surely, being the President is a tad more stressful than having a "cold".
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Stereotypes and loose lips
The only reason being tired would cause this type of comment is because the speaker forgets to censor himself.
Being tired doesn't make you absentmindedly say things in front of strangers that you wouldn't say among friends anyway.
As far as where the stereotype came from goes Christianity in the Middle Ages still considered usury (loaning with interest) a sin. It's the whole moneylender thing. Islam still holds to that although, obviously, most Christians don't. Judaism doesn't have that belief so they did what Christians wouldn't do in those times.
That said, I remember being in high school in Texas and having a Jewish person come by to talk to the students about Judaism. One of the points made is that not all Jews are rich. So, the stereotypes still exist particularly for previous generations. Let's face it, those stereotypes are generally passed from your parents so Tommy Thompson's kids probably think that way too.